I guess we all have times when the road through life seems rockier than others. The 30th June saw the 5th anniversary of Dauvits death to be honest most years it lips past without rattling to hard on the door. This year however has been different I guess it was triggered by the death of my sister in law a few months ago.

However even in the darkness the sunshine can reach into our lives. You see the other day I had ben indoors all day but later in the afternoon I took the notion to head a couple of mils along the road to Gerri's ice cream parlour to drown my sorrows.

Alas as I approached the shop I could see way to many cars for me to stop, so I decided to go on to the next village Finstown to stop by Bakes sores and get a pokeyhat (a cone).

I was just driving past Maes Howe when I saw two young lads (weel young tae me) sticking their thumbs out at the side of the road. I was a fair few yards past when I realised it was Sunday and the busses were few and far between so I jammed on the brakes and waited for them to catch up. when they opened the door I asked where they were going and in that moment my day changed.

Ethan and Erin were two photo journalists from America, they had come over to do an article on this years Ness of Brodgar dig and had decided to spend a few days gathering other bits and pieces about the island that may be of use to them.

I drove them into town and we chatted about places of interest those little snippet that sometimes don't make it to the tourist guidebooks. As I shared my island with them the love I felt for this strange straggle of islands returned in full measure.

I am sure they were glad when I dropped them of to escape this strange babbling woman They may never know the sunshine they brought into another's life but I wish them well in all they do.

I never did get that ice cream ah well perhaps the real sun will stop playing tig with the dark clouds for a bit today and give me an excuse to head of to Gerri's again.
Sunshine is out there sometimes we just have to go find it.